Drafting bench



B. J. WALLIS DRAFTING BENCH Sept. 16, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. :0, 1967 INVENTOR. WALLIS BERNARD J.

ATTO R NEYS 8. J. WALLIS DRAFTING BENCH Sept. 16, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 50. 1967 %L N M v D w. R A N m m B m NY I #1 O N O Ill! IQIN l I iv l v I I IIHUIIIIM l|||Il!|lllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllll a 1 F w Q M J ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,467,459 DRAFTING BENCH Bernard J. Wallis, Livernois Engineering C0., 25200 Trowbridge Ave., Dearhorn, Mich. 48124 Filed Aug. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 664,447 Int. Cl. A47b 27/00, 63/04; A47f /12 US. Cl. 312-231 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to drafting benches and has to do particularly with drafting benches which incorporate a plurality of surfaces accessible for drafting.

The primary object of the invention is to increase substantially the efiiciency of a draftsman by providing a drafting bench having two drafting surfaces for each draftsman in substantially the same space or area as now required for one drafting surface.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a drafting bench having two drafting boards thereon, one vertical and one horizontal, both of which drafting boards are usable simultaneously for drafting purposes.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the accompanying description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view of a drafting bench of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the manner in which a pair of drafting benches of the present invention are arranged for maximum efiiciency;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a drafting bench according to the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the side of the drafting bench opposite that shown in FIG. 3.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3, the drafting bench is provided with a base which is comprised essentially of a pair of spaced apart pedestals 12. Each pedestal is preferably formed of sheet metal with side walls 14 and a front wall 16. At the rear side of each pedestal 12 the lower portion is closed by a door 18 and the upper portion is closed by a drawer 20. Each pedestal is also provided with a top wall 22 and a bottom wall 24 so that each pedestal provides a substantially enclosed storage compartment. From the above description it will be observed that the side of the drafting bench at which the draftsman is normally located is referred to as the rear side and the opposite side as the front side.

Pedestals 12 are interconnected at the rear upper ends thereof by a generally U-shaped brace 26. As is shown in FIG. 1, brace 26 comprises a length of angle iron 28 having depending plates 30 welded at opposite ends thereof. Plates 30 are provided with a plurality of vertically spaced holes 32 by means of which brace 26 may be secured to the inner side walls 14 of the two pedestals by means of screws 34. The front ends of the tow pedestals 12 are interconnected in spaced relation by a sheet metal shelf 36 having a bottom wall 38 and an upright wall 40. At each end walls 38, 40 are flanged as at 42 so that the shelf can be securely connected at tis opposite ends with the inner side walls 14 of the two pedestals by screws 44.

Patented Sept. 16, 1969 As shown in FIG. 1, shelf 36 provides a compartment which is accessible from the front side of base 10.

Each pedestal 12 has secured to the front inner corner thereof an upright angle member 46 as by screws 48. The lower portion of each angle member 46 extends vertically while the upper portion is inclined slightly towards the rear of the bench in an upward direction. A drafting board 50 is securely mounted on the two upright supports 46 so that the front side 52 thereof provides an accessible drafting surface. Board 50 is secured to upright supports 46 by screws 54 and its lower edge is vertically supported by small angle brackets 56 which are welded to upright supports 46. A dust shield 58 is secured to the rear face of board 50 by screws 60 (FIG. 2). Dust shield 58 slopes downwardly and rearwardly with its lower edge overlying the upper edge of the upright wall 40 of shelf 36. Shield 58 extends between the inner side walls 14 of the two pedestals 12.

Each upright support 46 has a plurality of vertically spaced holes 62 formed therein. The holes 62 on one support 46 are horizontally aligned with the holes 62 on the other support 46. A second drafting board 64 is mounted on each base 10. Board 64 has a pair of spaced brackets 66 fixedly secured at the front edge thereof. Each bracket 66 has a pair of upstanding ears 68 by means of which the bracket can be pivotally connected with one of the holes 62 by a screw 70. A pair of reinforcement rails 72 are secured to the bottom of the board 64 in laterally spaced relation. The rear ends of rails 72 are supported on the angle 28 of bracing 26. As is clearly evident from FIG. 1, the height of the rear of board 64 can be adjusted by vertical adjustment of brace 26 while the front edge and thus the inclination of board 64 can be adjusted by securing the brackets 66 to selected pairs of the holes 62 in upright supports 46.

In the arrangement illustrated it will be observed that, as shown in FIG. 3, board 50 and board 64 are of the same width. Furthermore the width of the boards 50 and 64 correspond to the width of base 10 as measured between the outer side walls 14 of the two pedestals 12. This design is desirable in a drafting room containing many drafting benches because it facilitates considerably the sweeping and otherwise cleaning of the floors. Since the side walls of the two pedestals extend down to the floor surface and since the drafting boards do not extend beyond the opposite ends of the base, a plurality of such drafting benches can be arranged end to end in a row so that there will be no space between the end of one base and the adjacent end of the next base. Furthermore, since the shelf 36 is spaced above the lower ends of pedestals 12 the job of cleaning the floor between the pedestals of each drafting bench presents no problem. In addition, the sloping dust shield 58 can be readily cleaned by means of a dust mop or the like from the rear side of each bench.

Even more important than the simplicity of cleaning involved with my drafting bench design is the efficiency which results from the use of horizontally and vertically disposed boards on each drafting bench. This is perhaps best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein two benches of my design are illustrated as they would be arranged in a drafting room. The forward bench is designated A and the rear bench is designated B. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 these benches are spaced apart so that the space C therebetween provides a work area for a draftsman. With this arrangement a draftsman in the working area C has accessible for drafting the top side of board 64 on bench A and the front side of the board 50 on bench B. In addition, he has the rear side of board 50 on bench A for mounting reference materials 74 such as drawings and the like. The draftsman also has available for the storage of drawings or other materials not only the compartments within the pedestals 12 on bench A but also the compartment provided by shelf 36 on bench B.

The above-described arrangement not only provides the draftsman with some degree of privacy but also forms somewhat of an enclosure that reduces distractions to a minimum. In addition, and perhaps most important, is the fact that when the draftsman is engaged in executing a drawing in many instances he finds it convenient to execute two views progressively at the same time. This tends to minimize errors and enables the draftsman to more conveniently ascertain clearances, etc. that may be required on the workpiece or assembly being drawn. By having a horizontal board and a vertical board simultaneously accessible to the draftsman, he is able to execute two views concurrently on different drafting surfaces. This is particularly important when the views being executed are to a scale which would prevent the draftsman from executing both views on a single board. With this arrangement the draftsman can work on both views by simply swinging around on the stool which is customarily provided (not illustrated).

I claim:

1. A drafting bench comprising a base, a horizontally disposed drafting board mounted on the base, said horizontally disposed drafting board being vertically adjustable, a vertically disposed drafting board on said base positioned adjacent one edge of the horizontally disposed board, said vertically disposed board having a drafting surface on the side thereof opposite said one edge of the horizontal board.

2. A drafting bench as called for in claim 1 including a plurality of vertically spaced pivot supports at the rear side of the vertically disposed board, said horizontally disposed drafting board being pivotally supported at said one edge thereof in selected ones of said vertically spaced supports, the opposite edge of said horizontally disposed drafting board resting on said base.

3. A drafting bench as called for in claim 2 including vertically adjustable means on said base for supporting said opposite edge of the horizontal drafting board for vertical adjustment.

4. A drafting bench as called for in claim 1 wherein said base has a pair of upright supports one adjacent each end thereof, said vertically disposed board being fixedly mounted on said upright supports, said horizontally disposed drafting board having said one edge thereof pivotally connected with said upright supports and means on said base for raising and lowering the opposite edge of said horizontally disposed drafting board.

5. In combination a pair of drafting benches each having a base and arranged in spaced relation so that the front end of one base is spaced generally parallel from the rear edge of the other base to provide a working area for a draftsman in the space therebetween, each of said bases having a horizontally disposed drafting board mounted on the top thereof, said horizontally disposed drafting board being vertically adjustable and tiltable, said bases also having a vertically disposed drafting board mounted at the front side thereof with the drafting surface of the vertical board on the front side of the base whereby a draftsman in said working area has the horizontally disposed drafting board on the front base and the vertically disposed drafting board on the rear base accessible for drafting purposes and has the rear face of the vertically disposed board on the front face available for reference material.

6. A drafting bench comprising a base, a horizontally disposed drafting board mounted on the base, a vertically disposed drafting board on said base positioned adjacent one edge of the horizontally disposed board, said vertically disposed board having a drafting surface on the side thereof opposite said one edge of the horizontal board, said base having a pair of upright supports one adjacent each end thereof, said vertically disposed board being fixedly mounted onsaid upright supports, said upright supports having a plurality of vertically spaced and horizontally aligned pivot support means thereof, said horizontally disposed board having a pair of spaced apart pivot brackets at said one edge thereof pivotally connected with a selected pair of said pivot support means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,049,390 8/1962 Wolfe 312-196 X 3,087,767 4/1963 Schell 312-250 X 3,140,559 7/1964 Grow et al. 108-6 X 3,273,517 9/1966 Amthor et al 108l47 X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. l08--6 

